I have memories of my childhood treat, which was called pastila. Pastila is traditional Russian fruit confectionery. Wikipedia describes Russian pastila as marshmallow but tasting like fruit. Pastila is served as a tea desert. I used to eat pastila like a chewing candy.
When I made this pastila and gave it to my son, who was born in Canada, to try it, he told me that it tastes exactly like fruit-roll ups which we buy at any superstore.
From Wikipedia: Fruit Roll-Ups is a brand of fruit snack that debuted in grocery stores across America in 1983. The snack is a flat, pectin-based fruit-flavored snack, wrapped around a piece of cellophane for easier removal. <…> The main ingredient is sugar, and Fruit Roll-Ups contain five different types of sugar: sugar from pear juice concentrate, corn syrup, dried corn syrup, sugar, and a small amount of dextrose. They also contain small amounts of partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, citric acid, sodium citrate, acetylated monoglycerides, fruit pectin, malic acid, ascorbic acid, natural flavors, and artificial colors.
Ouch, not exactly what you would like your child to eat.
The following recipe is a healthy and very delicious alternative to store-bought fruit roll-ups. In this recipe I used plums, but any fruit can be used as well.
Homemade fruit roll-ups recipe
Ingredients
Plums (any kind) 1 kg
Sugar 100 gr (if you like sweet deserts, add more sugar)
Wash plums, cut in half and remove pits. Put plum pieces into the pot. Cook plums on moderate heat until plums become soft.
Blend plums thoroughly with hand blender.
Add sugar, mix and place mixture on the stove.
Cook paste until juice evaporates and paste thickens. The thicker the paste, the less time it will take for a paste to dry in your oven.
Place parchment paper on a tray and spread plum paste over.
Preheat oven to 250 F and place tray in the oven. Dry for about 3-4 hours.
Remove dry paste from the oven, turn over with parchment paper up and let cool off. Roll-ups are done when paste does not stick to your fingers.
Remove parchment paper from pastila, cut pastila in thin stripes, roll up and place in glass jar.
Enjoy.
To read a recipe of another delicious and healthy fruit snack, please follow the link: Candied Strawberries.
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